Letter-box



(NoModeL) v J. W. HENTZ.

LETTER BOX.

No. 516,891. Patented Mar; 20, 1894.

TATES ITE PATENT LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,891, dated March 20, 1894. 7

Application filed June 18, 1891- Serial 110396688. (No model.)

To'all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES W. HENTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oarroll Station, in the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, ref

erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specificaion.

My invention is in the nature of a combined delivery and collection letter box for use at the doors of residences and the object of my invention is to furnish a reliable, simple and cheap structure of thisclass.

With this objectin view my invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and afterward specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view showing my improved combined box with the mouths of both the collection and delivery apartments closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same parts with those openings open. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the central portion of a door showing how my combined box is applied thereto. Fig. 4 is adetail perspective view of the inside of the frame or casting in which the delivery door is pivoted.

Like numerals of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur in the various figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 is the delivery box in which the carrier is to place the mail matter, and 2 is the door for the introduction thereof, hinged at 3, (to swing inward,) in a casting consisting of a plate 4 having a central opening surrounded on the inside by inward projecting flanges 5, 6, 6, and 7. The flange 5 is along the top of the opening and the flanges 6, 6, at the ends and these three are at substantially right angles to the plate 4, while the flange 7 is at the bottom of the opening, inclines upward and serves as a guard to prevent access to the interior of the box until the swinging door 2 is moved upward beyond it. The plate 4 is formed, on the outside of the door, with ahood 8 to which the door is hinged and which protects the interior of the box from rain, snow, (to. This casting containing the door, &c., is pressed into an opening made in the house door 9 and may be secured therein by screws passing through the described flanges if desired. The top and rear, or inside 10 of the box 1 is formed of a single piece and near the bottom is provided with an opening through which the mail matter may be removed inside the house, such opening being closed by adoor 11 having a pane of glass 12 in it, so that the interior of the box can be inspected from the outside. The door 2, as before stated, swings inward on hinges 3. As it is swung inward to open it it engages under one end of a lever 13 pivoted to the side of the box, the other end of said lever engaging one side of a safety cover or table 14 pivoted to the sides of the box. When the door or lid 3 is raised, the lever 13 is operated, its inner end forcing the forward side of table 14 down until the table assumes substantially a horizontal position, forming a partition or diaphragm to separate the box into two compartments, an upper and a lower one, said table forming the top of the lower, and bottom of the upper one. Mail matter deposited in the box will fall on the table and when the lid is lowered, the table will tilt to the position shown in Fig. 1, thus dropping the mail to the bottom.

a The house door 9 is provided with another opening below that before mentioned and in this opening is placed the collection part of my combined box. The bottom and front of the delivery box 1 form the top and rear of the collection box 15, being formed of one piece 16. In this collection box I show mechanism whereby the mail matter may be in serted and taken out, as well as safety devices to protect the contents from injury by the weather or from being tampered with or abstracted, such devices being a hood or drop lid 17, auxiliary lid 18, lever 19, safety table 20, door 21 having holes 22 under which an indicator plate 28 slides and an operating wedge bar 24. These devices form no part of this invention but are illustrated to show simply how I combine a collection box with a house door and my delivery box.

Any other suitable collection box may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The bottom of the two boxes 15 and 1 are made of a single piece as at 25, 26, as is each side 27, and where the boxes are not mounted in a door, the front of both boxes will be in one piece.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 7 1. A combined delivery and collection box adapted for attachment to a house door consisting of a front having an opening for insertion of in atterinto a delivery compartment and openings for the insertion and removal of matter from a collection compartment, the delivery compartment having a door in the rear, the two compartments being inclosed by single plates forming respectively each side of both, each end thereof and the front of the same, a single plate forming the rear and top of each box, as set forth.

2. In combination in aletter box, a hood, a

door hinged therein opening inward, safety cover or table pivoted to the sides of the box, and a lever pivoted to the sides of the box engaging the top of the door at one end and. the top of the table at the other end whereby the opening of the door tilts the table, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a letter box a casting consisting of a plate adapted to be inserted in an opening in a door provided with an outward projecting hood and an inward projecting guard flange, an inward opening door pivoted to said casting under the hood, a lever inside the box pivoted to the sides of the box, and a tilting table pivoted inside the box, the door, lever and table cooperating in the manner set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my sign ature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. IIENTZ.

Witnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, S. BRASHEARS, Jr. 

